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Midland National Life Insurance Company, Sioux Falls, South Dakota has been sued in states all over the country for their sales practices. The Minnesota Attorney General sued them for ripping off senior citizens and won a multi million dollar settlement. These legal issues involving their sales practices may have contributed to Standard & Poor's reduction in December, 2008 of their outlook on Midland from stable to negative.
You should carefully consider all of this if a life insurance agent offers you a policy from Midland.
The most recent action was by a former leading General Agent Eric Castaneira (Castaneira v. Midland National Life Insurance, et al; Civ #10-4039, United States District Court, Southern District of South Dakota) that alleges Midland threatened his family when he tried to blow the whistle on policy fraud, withheld over $350, 000 of his commissions to retaliate against him, intentionally wrecked his agency, and then gave him a settlement to cover it up but broke their promise to pay him.
Midland has a long history of abusing its employees as well as its agents and policy holders. They are considered a legal precedent for union busting. In 1982, the National Labor Relations Board found that Midland distributed anti-union campaign literature to its employees with their paychecks. The literature included false impressions and other misleading information. The union learned of the document the next morning, 3 1/2 hours before polling.
Midland National Life Insurance Co. v. Local 304A, United Food & Commercial Workers, 263 NLRB 127 (1982).
All of these Midland complaints should have one name on them: Eric Castaneira.
I'm writing just to offset this troll above who puts a negative review of Midland on every site he can get his grubby hands on. Now that Eric Castaneira is out of prison for holding the Midland VP hostage at gunpoint, and he has unsuccessfully tried to sue Midland, so now he's moved on to slander and libel. This bottom feeder is actually blacklisting Midland agents by name on his website.
Just search Eric Castaneira and you'll see.
Is that the same Eric Castaneira whose Family was threatened by Midland for blowing the whistle on them? The lawsuit he filed (Castaneira v. Midland National Life Insurance, et al; Civ #10-4039, United States District Court, Southern District of South Dakota) is posted at www.midland-national-life-review.com. Is this the same Castaneira that Midland signed a settlement agreement with and then broke their promise?
Here are a few excerpts from it:
Despite all of Midland’s claims of improper behavior on Castaneira’s part they offered to reinstate Castaneira’s contract and return all of the commissions they had withheld if he would drop his lawsuit against them. Castaneira refused to consider this until Midland agreed to objectively review and investigate their sales practices.
In mid August, 1991 Castaneira was made aware of a telephone call between two individuals that he believed to be Wilson and William Rigsbee (hereinafter “Rigsbee”), then president and CEO of Midland, in which the subject of harming Castaneira or Castaneira’s family was raised to prevent Castaneira from causing any further trouble.
In 1997 the IRS filed a tax lien against Castaneira for income on commissions he was supposed to be receiving from Midland; however, Castaneira had not received a check from them in over seven years.
An attorney contacted Midland on Castaneira’s behalf for an explanation and Midland, an insurance company that is required by law to know where every dollar is at every moment, took 42 days to respond that they had approximately $50, 000 in commissions they had been holding for Castaneira. They also could not explain why they had been served an IRS lien on any money in their possession over one year earlier but had not disclosed the money to the IRS in violation of the law.
In mid summer, 2003 Castaneira was made aware of a recording of a telephone call in which individuals affiliated with Midland and their private investigators openly discussed their frustration with Ligtenberg’s inability to “get the job done” and whether Castaneira “should be dealt with”. The tone of the conversation made it very clear to Castaneira that the context of the conversation was a discussion of serious harm or death, and he took preventive measures for his security.
In November, 2003 Midland again became serious about reaching a settlement, and in December Castaneira signed a settlement agreement titled “Mutual Release” (hereinafter “settlement”) with Midland that provided for structured payments of over $166, 000. As part of the agreement Midland agreed to advocate Castaneira’s ability to leave South Dakota and later qualified the extent of their efforts as “whatever was necessary”.
Midland insisted on a “non disclosure” clause in the settlement that would prevent Castaneira from making public Midland’s payment and the fact that the settlement included the following language “There have been…disputes and differences... Castaneira and Midland have now agreed in consideration of the terms hereinafter set forth in this agreement, to settle all disputes and differences between them."
Yep, that’s the kind of life insurance company I would defend!
Has anyone seen ONE WORD anywhere on the internet of Midland National denying any of these complaints or allegations? With as much damage as this story is causing them, and with the army of lawyers they have hired, why haven’t they gone to court to stop all of these complaints if it they weren’t true?
While you were ranting about Castaneira being a “do gooder” you failed to mention that Midland has been sued by thousands of its customers in at least six different states for ripping them off. The Minnesota Attorney General sued them for the same thing.
Midland National agents have been given the opportunity to make this public pledge:
ETHICS PLEDGE
I will not promote, endorse, or sell any life insurance, annuity, or investment products for, or on behalf of, Midland National Life Insurance Company, North American Company for Life and Health, Midland Annuity, or Sammons Financial Group until those companies agree to resolve in a fair and equitable manor all outstanding policy and contractual litigation and disputes with their current and former policy holders and agents.
How can any HONEST life insurance agent have a problem with that?
Perhaps you should spend less time complaining about people that have made an extraordinary personal sacrifice in warning consumers and spend more time becoming an ethical insurance agent.
Be aware that Eric Castaneira wrote the original complaint above. Eric Castaneira is a dangerous violent felon. He is unable to leave the State of South Dakota by order of the Department Of Corrections and is still officially in the custody of the State Of South Dakota.
Unable to earn an honest living, this jailbird has resorted to defrauding agents by selling fraudulant "leads" to legitimate life insurance agents nationwide with his web site www.lifeleads.net. He is currently under investigation by The South Dakota Department of Insurance as well as The South Dakota Attorney General's Office.
It should not be long before he occupies another jail cell, but as long as he can somehow manage to get computer access he will continue to post sad rants against Midland National Life.
I am not a representative of Midland National Life, and they may be the worst company in the insurance business for all I know, but rather than take the word of maybe the single biggest loser in the State Of South Dakota, a loathsome con man, call your state's Insurance Department and ask.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a Midland National Life insurance agent.
NOW you can understand why HONEST life insurance agents are refusing to sell Midland National products anymore.
Is that the same Eric Castaneira whose Family was threatened by Midland for blowing the whistle on them? The lawsuit he filed (Castaneira v. Midland National Life Insurance, et al; Civ #10-4039, United States District Court, Southern District of South Dakota) is posted at www.midland-national-life-review.com. Is this the same Castaneira that Midland signed a settlement agreement with and then broke their promise?
Here are a few excerpts from it:
Despite all of Midland’s claims of improper behavior on Castaneira’s part they offered to reinstate Castaneira’s contract and return all of the commissions they had withheld if he would drop his lawsuit against them. Castaneira refused to consider this until Midland agreed to objectively review and investigate their sales practices.
In mid August, 1991 Castaneira was made aware of a telephone call between two individuals that he believed to be Wilson and William Rigsbee (hereinafter “Rigsbee”), then president and CEO of Midland, in which the subject of harming Castaneira or Castaneira’s family was raised to prevent Castaneira from causing any further trouble.
In 1997 the IRS filed a tax lien against Castaneira for income on commissions he was supposed to be receiving from Midland; however, Castaneira had not received a check from them in over seven years.
An attorney contacted Midland on Castaneira’s behalf for an explanation and Midland, an insurance company that is required by law to know where every dollar is at every moment, took 42 days to respond that they had approximately $50, 000 in commissions they had been holding for Castaneira. They also could not explain why they had been served an IRS lien on any money in their possession over one year earlier but had not disclosed the money to the IRS in violation of the law.
In mid summer, 2003 Castaneira was made aware of a recording of a telephone call in which individuals affiliated with Midland and their private investigators openly discussed their frustration with Ligtenberg’s inability to “get the job done” and whether Castaneira “should be dealt with”. The tone of the conversation made it very clear to Castaneira that the context of the conversation was a discussion of serious harm or death, and he took preventive measures for his security.
In November, 2003 Midland again became serious about reaching a settlement, and in December Castaneira signed a settlement agreement titled “Mutual Release” (hereinafter “settlement”) with Midland that provided for structured payments of over $166, 000. As part of the agreement Midland agreed to advocate Castaneira’s ability to leave South Dakota and later qualified the extent of their efforts as “whatever was necessary”.
Midland insisted on a “non disclosure” clause in the settlement that would prevent Castaneira from making public Midland’s payment and the fact that the settlement included the following language “There have been…disputes and differences... Castaneira and Midland have now agreed in consideration of the terms hereinafter set forth in this agreement, to settle all disputes and differences between them."
Yep, that’s the kind of life insurance company I would defend!
Has anyone seen ONE WORD anywhere on the internet of Midland National denying any of these complaints or allegations? With as much damage as this story is causing them, and with the army of lawyers they have hired, why haven’t they gone to court to stop all of these complaints if it they weren’t true?
While you were ranting about Castaneira being a “do gooder” you failed to mention that Midland has been sued by thousands of its customers in at least six different states for ripping them off. The Minnesota Attorney General sued them for the same thing.
Midland National agents have been given the opportunity to make this public pledge:
ETHICS PLEDGE
I will not promote, endorse, or sell any life insurance, annuity, or investment products for, or on behalf of, Midland National Life Insurance Company, North American Company for Life and Health, Midland Annuity, or Sammons Financial Group until those companies agree to resolve in a fair and equitable manor all outstanding policy and contractual litigation and disputes with their current and former policy holders and agents.
How can any HONEST life insurance agent have a problem with that?
Perhaps you should spend less time complaining about people that have made an extraordinary personal sacrifice in warning consumers and spend more time becoming an ethical insurance agent.
Midland National Life Insurance agents must be some of the most honest, credible people, since ERIC CASTANEIRA, a lying crook, is so violently opposed to them. You can always tell someone by their enemies. Trust Midland National--slandered and libeled by ERIC CASTANEIRA FOR OVER A DECADE. Now you know for sure you can trust them.
The mind of a Midland National Life Insurance Company agent.
No wonder nobody trusts them.
Copy and paste is a wonderful thing, "Insurance_Guy"
CONSUMER WARNING - Read this BEFORE you buy from Midland National Life
This life insurance agent is licensed with Midland National Life Insurance Company or one of its affiliates.
Don't Trust Midland National Life or Midland Annuity. They have been sued all over the country for their sales practices that amount to ripping off senior citizens.
If you want to know more, just Google MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE REVIEW or MIDLAND NATIONAL LIFE COMPLAINT or visit www.midland-national-life-review.com
Ask your life insurance agent for alternatives to Midland National. If they are unwilling to suggest any you may want to consider another insurance agent. You just have to wonder whether Midland has managed to trash whatever good name they used to have.
Midland National is part of the Sammons Financial Group and is affiliated with the North American Company for Life and Health and Midland Annuity.
My husband and I bought four polices from another company that later sold to Midland Life. We thought we were buying life insurance until we die because this is what we were told. We received a letter from Midland stating our polices were expiring because they had reached the twenty year limit. We have been paying $163 quarterly for twenty years and now we do not have any insurance. I tried to tell the young lady that I felt ripped off since we had invested so much monery...she said that was not the way to look at since we were covered for the last twenty years...I told her "Excuse the Hell out of me for not Dying"! I would not recommend them to nobody...We have paid in over $13, 000 to this company and now have no coverage...RIP OFFS!
this sounds just like what they are doing to me and my family.after paying premiiums automaticallyfor 30 plus yrs.they "suddenly" omitted it for 1 mo [51,00} ,,,,,,which had gone to170,00off n onwhich was for 3 mo,...long story short i rec'da bill in the mail for 155.00 which i remitted for same..cpl weeks later bill for 170'37..mean time id sent in the 155.00 which was returned for insufficient funds ,,i also had sent in the 170;00.after all this confusion also rec'd a cancellationnotice w/a cute lil request to more or less beg for reiinstatement,, which i did,time goes by into weeks ...NUTHIN no responce and hrs of HOLD ,,,,,,NUTHING finally made e mail contact,,saying they rec'd our info and its being 'REVIEWED',,weeks later sos ,,,later its sosdd so bottom line here is DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT CALLING 'CUST SERV' ,,,OR MAKING ANY H
KIND OF 'SERVICE...WELL OTHER THANTHE KIND ABULL N COW MAKE...
DID I MENTION WE R BOTH 70 YRS OLD SO IT SNOT HARD TO SEE WHAT THIS BUNCH OF DEMO MISCREANTS ARE UP TO. TAKE MY LIFETIME OF WORKING ...AND FAITHFULLY PAYING INTO WHAT S SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN 50'000 CALLING THIS A RIPOFF IS WHAT GIVES HONESTREPS{IF THERE R ANY{ A REALLY BAD NAME BTW IF IT COMES TO PASS WE HAPPEN TO B REINSTATED I'LL GLADLY TRACT THIS RANT FROM TH ROOFTOPS,,,,,,,AS IT STANDS NOW THO IM REDY TO JUST JUMPOFF IT THO..
Never heard of them.